Deception, Love, and Assassination
by Raelyn33
Summary: Naruto, the only son of Emperor Minato has been given a gift: Sasuke of the Uchiha clan. He did not anticipate falling in love and the consequences that would come with the dark eyed beauty. Mature sexual and somewhat violent themes.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime/manga Naruto or its character.

A/N: Well, here's the first chapter of a small story that hopped into my brain the other day. Please let me know if you all like!

Warning: Violence, Yaoi (boy x boy), mature sexual content. If you are not of an age to be reading this, please turn back now.

Pairing: Naru/Sasu, possible Naru/? (still undecided on that)

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Tawny sheets provided a golden background for the two figures moving together on the bed. The pale man was trapped between the firey silk and the sun-kissed body moving above him. His fingers gripped sweat dampened sheets as tanned ones entwined with his own. He tried to grit his teeth to prevent the cries and moans that desperately wished to escape his lips. A well aimed thrust caused his effort to be in vain as he called out his pleasure in the richly decorated room.

He closed his lids tightly over his onyx eyes in embarrassment as he felt lips smile against his flushed neck. He tried not to imagine how beautiful sunshine hair must look tangled with his own sable locks.

His eyes rolled behind closed lids as he felt the movements inside him became harsher and teeth began to mark his shoulders and neck, claiming ownership of his body inside and out. He was not able – and had stopped caring enough to try – to stop his body from whole-heartedly participating in the intimate act taking place.

He rolled his hips up, deepening the penetration of his body, encouraging and loving the feelings building within him. He moaned louder as fingers not entwined with his own tightened on his hip and a husky voice panted in his ear.

"Sasuke," the blond breathed.

Sasuke was surprised by how powerful his reaction to his name on those lips was. He had wanted to be free of all emotions the sex would bring, but at this point he abandoned the thought not involved in how fucking amazing it felt. So instead – pride be damned! – he would embrace the passion and deal with the consequences later. He grunted and bent his knees enough to keep his rear up and allow access to his recently neglected flesh. His eyes still shut, a part of him still denying reality, but his mouth did not stop the words from leaving his lips. "Please…please more."

A honey colored hand found him and stroked following the movements within. Harder and faster it became and they jointly cried out at the sensations that were new to both young men.

Now frantic, all hope of finesse abandoned, they bucked against each other, glowing pink and sweaty with their exertions. With a final exclamation, teeth latched onto Sasuke's throat as he cried out, "Naruto!"

They moved together, slowing as their heated bodies cooled and their shallow breathing deepened and then Naruto's tired limbs deserted him pressing his weight down into Sasuke pushing him further into the bed.

Sasuke grunted from the pressure. "Get off."

Naruto raised his head enough to look at the satisfied body that was annoyingly tensing up. Sighing, he rolled off of his lover so he could face the other young man. He wasn't happy to see the tension marring the ivory features and began stroking raven hair behind Sasuke's ear then caressing the lines that had appeared between the dark eyes he loved so much.

"Hey," he whispered. "You promised to tell me to stop if I hurt you." Naruto felt his heart tighten at the thought of causing pain to his new lover.

"Hn." Sasuke rolled his eyes at the blond. "You didn't hurt me. It was fine." He couldn't decide if he should pull away or allow himself to lean into the caress.

"Fine? You call that 'fine'?" Azure eyes widened in disbelief at the statement and was frantic to argue. "It was amazing and you were amazing and it felt wonderful! I loved what we just did." Nervously, Naruto bit his lower lip as he took in the marble countenance before him. Why wasn't Sasuke happy too? "What did I do wrong?"

Sasuke couldn't hold himself back any longer and kissed the sadness off of Naruto's face. Wrapping his arms around broad shoulders and tangling their legs so they were pressed tightly together. Kissing Naruto again, he said against bruised lips, "You didn't do anything wrong tonight. It was very good."

Smiling, blue eyes cleared as they gazed into onyx. "I really do love you, Sasuke."

Sasuke's eyes betrayed his surprise at this declaration. He knew Naruto wanted to hear the same from him, but couldn't say it. Rolling the blond onto his back, Sasuke gave him a small smile before a final kiss.

"Go to sleep, my Prince." Naruto's eyes narrowed at being reminded of his title, but exhaustion was claiming him and it just wasn't worth it to argue.

Sasuke stayed still watching the blond young man fall into a deep sleep. He took the time to control the raging emotions inside of him. He knew this had been a mistake, but he didn't have a choice. Now, he needed to find the calm necessary to do what he was sent to do.

'_Fool_,' he hissed in his mind as he slowly removed his body from Naruto's grasp without waking him. Grimacing at the mess he felt on his thighs, he quickly put on his baggy cotton pants that he wore within their chambers.

His anger at the situation he was in caused him to pace for awhile in front of the large bed, grinding his teeth in frustration and an effort to be quiet.

He shouldn't be here. He was a lord in his own right. He should be at home with his family preparing for his role as protector to his elder brother, Itachi, who would one day take over leadership of the Uchiha clan from their father.

Sasuke should not have been in some foreign prince's bed, his innocence lost to an enemy of his family.

Firming his resolve, he wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the dagger attached to the belt of Naruto's pants from where they had been flung earlier that evening. Unsheathing the weapon, he nearly growled as he noticed Naruto hadn't been bothered at all by the low noise.

Not that Sasuke should be upset that the stupid blond slept unaware of his danger. Not at all.

His father had been quite specific to his younger son. Sasuke was being given as a gift to the Namikaze heir so that he could get close enough to assassinate the prince. With the death of Emperor Minato's only son, his territory would be easy to claim by the Uchiha clan as was their right. For Fugaku – and many others – had coveted the Senju lands and was enraged when Minato of the Namikazes inherited the title. It was an insult the Uchiha lord would not allow and he had repeatedly tried to gain the crown in battle, but he was defeated every time and lost men and land each time.

So it was that Sasuke stood over Naruto with the intent to kill. Raising the blade, he purposefully did not think about the life he has lost. No longer was he the younger brother trained to protect, he is now an assassin meant only to die. For he knew that once the prince's bloody body was found he would be executed. Guards stand at every hallway and even a pair was right outside the prince's chamber; the castle is as difficult to escape from as it is to infiltrate.

He clenched the hilt in his sweaty palm. He mustn't hesitate. He cannot betray his family that loved and raised him by seizing the life he has lived for the last few months. He could not embrace the young blond no matter how much the man may claim to love him. Sasuke knew the words were empty.

They had to be.

"Idiot," he growled as he leaned over his soon-to-be-dead lover. Golden brows furrowed as Naruto's body urged him to wake up sensing the danger that he was in. Hazy cobalt widened at the blade glinting in the soft light as it descended towards him.

Both boys cried out in pain and grief as blood spattered on the silken sheets.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Ok, time to put in some more plot, so this chapter might be kind of slow, but tis all necessary. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor do I make any profits from this story.

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Naruto stared into the equally wide eyes of the man above him. Sasuke knelt on the bed, his right knee brushing Naruto's right hip through the silk sheet; the only barrier other than his pants between the skin of their lower bodies. His upper body hovered above the prince.

Naruto thanked his trained reflexes that had blocked Sasuke's descending arm and redirected the attack to the side. So it was that the blade embedded into the mattress having sliced into the tanned upper arm of the blond on its way down.

The pain his body felt had not yet registered to his mind as confusion and disbelief were all that he could feel.

"Sasuke?"

The dark haired man could hear all of Naruto's questions simply in the way he spoke his name.

"I'm sorry," was all he could say to the lover he had betrayed. The shame of failing his family would come soon enough. Right now, he was too relieved to feel much of anything else.

Before Naruto could verbalize his questions, the guards from the hallway had entered the room having been alerted by the unintentional yells of both men.

Suddenly, Ssuke was being pulled away by the guards amid shouts of accusation. The knife and blood had been spotted.

Naruto heard calls for the physician, Tsunade. He also heard another guard from the hall being sent to notify his father and prepare the executioner. Finally, he was shaken from his stupor.

Abruptly, he sat up and called out, "Wait!" stopping the guards who were dragging an unresisting Sasuke from his room. "Let him go."

His personal guards, Izumo and Kotetsu, exchanged shocked and curious glances. They were unsure of how to deal with the distraught prince. Sasuke would not even look at him.

Kotetsu bowed his head and apologized. "Your highness, I'm sorry, but we cannot do that. We know that he was in your favor, but he tried to harm you. We have to take him to the dungeon to await interrogation. We have to follow the Emperor's laws." He did not like speaking against his prince, but if he didn't, he might find himself in front of the executioner.

What nobody said – but was understood by all – was that after any captured assassin was questioned they were always put to death. Naruto knew that. It was the best way to handle such threats. He wasn't naive, he knew that people in positions of power were always targets. He needed to find a way to delay them.

"Take him to this room and stay with him. Do not give him a chance to suicide." He noticed Sasuke flinch at that and wondered if that had been part of his plan. "I want to question him myself before Ibiki gets a hold of him."

His men did not argue with him this time. It was obvious their beloved prince needed some answers and they would do what they could to help.

As Tsunade entered the room looking as though she had been dragged from her bed – which she had – Izumo and Kotetsu escorted Sasuke to his own chamber which was connected via an anteroom to Naruto's own. It was The Favorite's room. The rest of the harem, if one existed, was located further down the hall.

The blonde woman immediately went to Naruto with her medical kit. She saw the shock on his face and correctly assumed that he hadn't even noticed the blood sliding down his arm and staining the covers that had pooled in his lap. Not commenting on the sex she could clearly smell in the room, she got to work cleaning his wound and putting pressure to try to stop the bleeding. It didn't look deep enough to need more than stitches.

"Naruto." Getting no response, she tried again. "Naruto," gently she turned him by the chin so she could look into his eyes. It hurt her to see how glazed his eyes were. "I need you to tell me what happened. Can you do that?"

Finally, murky blue focused on her own amber eyes. She gave him a smile, happy to see him coming back to her.

Naruto blinked and looked around taking in their lack of audience before focusing back on the palace physician whom he loved and had always considered family. Taking in a deep breath he answered her as best he could.

"I don't know why he did it. We, um, well, we were here," he cursed himself for blushing under the circumstances, "and then I fell asleep. When I woke up, there was Sasuke with a knife and I tried to block it. Next thing I know, the guys were dragging Sasuke away and you're here." His eyes were still darting around; his mind was busy analyzing every moment of the last few hours because he didn't want to believe the conclusion he had already reached.

"I have to put stitches on this cut. Hold still for me." Now, Naruto looked down and noticed the amount of blood on his body and finally felt the pain his arm was in. Grimacing, he allowed Tsunade to care for his injury. It wasn't the first time he had been injured and this one was relatively minor. It wasn't long before Tsunade was wrapping a bandage over his stitched wound.

"At least it was your left arm. You know you need to be careful while you heal, I don't want you to rip your stitches. If you do, you can sew yourself back up." She looked sternly down at her prince whom she had known since she helped his mother give birth.

Naruto smiled up at her where she was standing over him. He appreciated that she wasn't asking about Sasuke. He could see that she was holding herself back from embracing him as if he was still a child. He felt the temptation to let her, to allow her to protect him from the pain, to not take responsibility for what had happened this night.

But he couldn't hide. He would not.

"Sorry for waking you up." Tsunade recognized both the thanks and the dismissal in his statement. She left him and closed the door behind her. Replacement guards were stationed outside both entrances to his chamber; from the hallway and from his anteroom.

Finally alone, he stood from his bed allowing the sheet to fall from his soiled body. Wetting a cloth from the ewer in the room for quick washing, he cleaned the blood and semen left over from their lovemaking.

He scoffed as he felt the discomfort in his arm. 'Lovemaking...right.'

Feeling water splash to the floor directed his attention to his fist that was squeezing the life out of the moist cloth. Releasing his victim, he stepped away from the mess and went to his closet to dress.

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Clad in black baggy pants and a sleeveless overcoat, he stood in front of the door to Sasuke's chamber. His silver hued under-tunic provided a lovely contrast with the otherwise black apparel. The dagger used less than an hour ago to attack him was now back in its sheath at his belt.

Shoulders straight and head high, he entered the room like the prince he was. His personal guards bowed their heads to him and indicated Sasuke who was sitting with his head down across the room.

"I want to talk to him alone."

"Your highness, we cannot leave you with him unbound." Izumo was getting worried. He wasn't following procedure and he was afraid he'd later regret it.

"I assume you've checked the room for weapons." The guards nodded. Thus assured that there was no danger, Naruto ordered, "Then leave us. I'll be fine."

A cold glare from icy blue eyes stopped any further protest. With twin bows his guards left the room and stood sentinel outside the chamber providing privacy for the prince and his lover.

His attacker.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and make no monetary profit from this fanfic.

Warnings: Bits of angst.

Thank you for all the reviews and alerts. Enjoy.

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Sasuke had been aware of Naruto's entrance. though he had not raised his head, he had observed the blond through his lashes. He kept his breathing controlled. It was best to show no feelings or thoughts. Reveal nothing. He could not implicate his family in the attempted murder. Now, he had to take the full blame.

Still, Naruto really was breathtaking when he chose to be. Clad in black and silver, he was every inch a royal. The blond's voice washed over him as the guards were ordered to leave.

Sasuke wished they had stayed. He didn't want to be alone with Naruto again. It was going to be harder to lie to him than anyone else. Naruto began to pace in front of him like a caged lion observing his prey and just waiting for the bars to be removed.

"Tell me!"

The command was so sudden, Sasuke nearly jumped. Instead he rolled his eyes up till he was returning Naruto's stare impassively. He was impressed with the blond's control. He was expecting an overly emotional lover, not the confident figure staring at him.

"Tell me the story you're going to use."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. So, this was how Naruto wanted to play it? Fine.

Affecting an apathetic appearance, Sasuke relaxed into his chair and stared vaguely past Naruto's right ear. "My father wanted peace between our families and sent me to you without getting my opinion. I don't want you and I got tired of pretending to accept you." His expression did not change as he forced the vile words past his lips. He kept his focus off of the prince's face; he was not sure that he'd be able to say what he needed to if he met those azure orbs that always seemed to demand his honesty.

"Tonight, I realized I could suffer your touches no more."

He could imagine the hurt and betrayal on Naruto's face. He could imagine his one-time lover leaving him now for the executioner as he cried from Sasuke's deception. This is what Sasuke expected.

Which is why the growl rumbling from the prince's chest surprised him enough to meet blue eyes that had darkened to indigo. He had seen Naruto angry before. This was different. This was rage with something else swimming beneath the surface.

"When I am through," the ice in his voice chilled Sasuke's blood, "the Uchiha will be nothing more than a memory."

"No!" Sasuke was on his feet and glaring into Naruto's face with all his might. "You will not touch my family." His voice was implacable.

"If they had any care for you, you would not be here!" The prince's hands were clenched into fists, his nails digging into his skin.

"It's my family, Naruto!" Sasuke screamed. He didn't need to say anything else, he knew Naruto understood the importance.

Again, he was surprised when he found himself surrounded by strong arms and a golden head buried in his neck. Resisting the urge to return the embrace, Sasuke was about to push him away when Naruto spoke.

"Sasuke," his voice choked with emotion, "you didn't have much of a choice at all, did you?"

His shoulders slumped as he realized that Naruto did understand what had happened. He was torn with his feelings knowing that Naruto had not believed his lies. Sasuke sighed. Despite his occasional behavior, Naruto really was not an idiot. Especially when people's emotions and motives were concerned.

However, his worry for his family did not abate. Finally returning his lover's embrace, he felt the warmth that holding the blond gave him. Lightly nuzzling a bronze neck, he softly begged, "Don't go after my clan. Please."

Naruto did not immediately reply and Sasuke's worry increased even as he continued to hold him. After a minute of just holding each other, Sasuke felt Naruto mumble into his shoulder.

"What?" The young Uchiha pulled away enough to meet the anguished eyes of the prince.

"I don't want you to die."

Amazingly, he was able to smile softly as he answered with what he had known for weeks. "I was dead the moment I arrived."

Sapphires began to sparkle with moisture. "Because I fell for you."

Unwilling to respond to that statement, Sasuke brought their lips together sharing his grief and affection. The kiss was desperate and passionate. He never wanted it to end. Clinging to each other, they stayed together until air became a necessity. As they panted for breath, Sasuke watched Naruto's face harden with resolve. "I won't let you die."

"You can't stop this. Just promise that you'll not attack my family."

"I won't harm them, but I'm more concerned with you."

"Damn it, Naruto! Your father will want to keep you safe and your people will want revenge. The gossip has probably already passed the palace walls. Don't make this harder than it is."

His arms were still around Naruto's waist as the blond cupped his pale face within golden hands. Naruto looked utterly distraught with the hopeless situation. "But I love you."

Onyx eyes softened and they were closing in for another kiss when he decided not to hide anymore from the blond. "Naruto, I lo-"

The chamber doors were opened and Sasuke managed to push Naruto from him and stand with his arms and head down showing that he was not a threat. Naruto gave a hiss as the movement jarred his injured arm, but he turned towards the door angry at the interruption. His eyes widened at the man standing in the doorway.

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When Emperor Minato of the Namikaze clan entered the room, he was disappointed with what he saw. He had been informed that his son's favorite had attempted to kill the prince. He had hoped that the Uchiha's peace offering had been genuine, but that was clearly not the case.

Minato had also hoped that his lovesick son had demanded time alone with the prisoner to get answers. Unfortunately, it was clear that Naruto could forgive even an assassination attempt from his dark haired lover. Damn. He did not want to deal with this.

The older blond entered the room and nodded to the servant behind him bearing a tray with a cup of steaming liquid on it. The man placed the tray on the table near the chair Sasuke had vacated in his argument with Naruto and then left with a bow closing the doors behind him.

Father and son regarded each other as the would-be assassin kept his distance. Naruto watched the hard planes of his father's face and wondered how he would be able to convince the man to not harm Sasuke or the Uchiha clan. Minato was usually a carefree and loving individual, but he was ruthless when his loved ones were threatened.

"Father -"

Minato held up a hand to stop his son from saying anything further. He then indicated the cup on the table. "Before you say anything, drink the tea. Tsunade made it for you to combat any infections you might receive from your injury." When he mentioned the wound, he stared harshly at the bowed dark head.

Knowing that he would not get anywhere until he followed his father's instructions, he drank the sickly sweet concoction as quickly as he could. Shuddering, he replaced the delicate cup on the tray. He wished Tsunade could have made it taste just a little bit better. Squaring his shoulders, he prepared to speak again when his father blocked him again.

"Naruto, do not concern yourself with him any more. He is Ibiki's problem now."

"We don't need to bother Ibiki at all. I know what happened and we can resolve this peacefully."

Minato sighed and shook his head. "You're too emotionally involved here, son. We can't make exceptions because someone is good in bed."

Sasuke stiffened at the way he was being spoken about, but knew there was little he could do about it. He would probably be called a whore by the gossips by the time he was executed. He just had to make sure that he sticks with the story exonerating his family when he is interrogated. It is not that he did not appreciate Naruto's efforts, he just knew that they were futile and was preparing himself for what was to come.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he fought to stay calm. "You know me better than that." He tried to focus through his foggy vision.

"I thought I did, but I see you here trying to defend the man who attacked you. How can I trust your judgment?"

"Sasuke didn't have a choice."

"I know you know better than that. Everyone has a choice, no matter how poor their options are." Minato watched his son begin to sway on his feet and his eyes start to droop. "If we don't make an example of him, we'll be inviting more attempts against our lives. You have to understand, Naruto."

"Father, please..." Naruto was unable to finish as his eyes rolled up in his head and he felt his body lose consciousness. He thought of the 'medicine' he had been ordered to drink and his heart ached at yet another betrayal. _ 'How could you, father?'_

He did not feel the arms that caught him from falling to the hard floor.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Yay, my longest chapter of this story and I got it out in under a week. I'm sorry to those who have been upset by the lags between updates, but I honestly update as often as I can. I don't hold my chapters hostage waiting for more reviews or anything like that. Just, sometimes real life gets in the way and the holidays were pretty frantic.

Special note: This chapter was getting much longer than my others and I want to keep them all roughly the same size so I split it in two. Chapter 5 will be finished and posted Sunday at the latest and sooner if I can.

Spoiler Alert: Thank you all for reading this story, but for those who are getting upset by the angst, just know that I love happy endings and will endeavor to give that to you.

Thanks for all the reviews!

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Sasuke caught his lover before the blond could hit the floor. Without thought, he maneuvered the unresponsive man to the nearby chair. He briefly contemplated moving Naruto to his bed, but didn't think he would be allowed. Once he realized what he had done and how it might look, he stepped away from the prince and faced the blond Emperor watching him speculatively.

"You shouldn't have done that." Minato crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at the dark haired young man. "You were obviously not taught to act before you came here."

Sasuke stiffened as Minato continued brusquely. "I don't know what Fugaku was thinking. Didn't he have anyone else to send?"

"My father thought that your son would like me. The prince hadn't shown interest in the women given to him. My father thought that his highness would appreciate the gift." Sasuke's voice made 'gift' sound as though it was a particularly vile curse.

The Emperor waved his hand dismissively. "Yes, I know the cover story he gave us to get you into the palace. I meant, didn't he have a better assassin?"

The young Uchiha's back was ramrod straight and he met the cool blue eyes unflinchingly. "I acted alone. I was given in good will by my family; I just could not stomach this life. I was trained to fight and protect my clan. I wasn't raised to be a toy in some prince's bed."

Silence descended as the two men gauged each other. Minato weighing Sasuke's words and actions while Sasuke tried to figure out why the Emperor had not just sent him to their interrogator. Why was he bothering with Sasuke now that Naruto was unconscious and could no longer interfere?

"Well, maybe you're not so bad an actor after all." Azure eyes, brilliant like his son's, raked Sasuke from head to foot. He noted the lovebites on neck and shoulders. Sasuke was still only clad in his lounge pants and it was clear what activity had been occurring before his misguided murder attempt.

"So, were you just waiting for a time when you had the most privacy with my son or was the sex just that bad?"

His lips curled in disgust at the older man's question. "If you're asking if I planned to kill him, the answer is No. I realized what life I would be leading if I didn't do something. In my anger at going from being a lord to becoming the prince's whore, I attacked him."

"Have you ever killed a man, Sasuke?"

He was surprised by the question, but saw no harm in answering it honestly. "Yes."

"Tell me about it."

"My men and I were escorting my mother. She was visiting a friend in another village and we were attacked on the road. We killed them." Sasuke shrugged indicating how little he was bothered by the deaths of bandits who were stupid enough to attack trained Uchiha soldiers. He didn't think it necessary to mention how he had vomited afterward.

"You want me to believe that you are not an assassin sent by Fugaku to murder my heir? That in a fit of homicidal rage at your situation you tried to kill Naruto."

"Yes." Sasuke didn't hesitate, his voice clear and sure.

"Do you know how I'm aware that you're lying?"

"I'm not lying."

"You're in love with my son."

Sasuke nearly staggered from the accusation. "I'm not."

"Naruto was asleep when you went into your so called rage, was he not?"

"Yes, but he woke up before I could kill him."

"You caught him."

"What?" Sasuke's mind was scrambling trying to keep up with the man who kept jumping from one topic to another.

Minato gestured to the cup that had held the tea Naruto had been ordered to drink. "When the drug hit him, I was going to catch him, but you got there first."

"So?"

"You don't want him hurt."

He felt like he was drowning. _'Why did these damn blonds have to make things so complicated?'_

"I wasn't thinking rationally when I tried to kill him. Of course I don't want him hurt."

"You're supposed to be a trained fighter but you couldn't kill a sleeping man? Are you that incompetent?"

Sasuke's pride would not allow him to answer.

"The only reason you would try to murder someone you love" - "I don't love him!" – "is if you were ordered to by someone you consider a higher authority. Your father."

"I told you I acted alone!"

"This is why I think Fugaku was a fool for sending you." He waited for Sasuke to open his mouth for another protestation before he cut him off. "You're not a murderer."

Sasuke did not know what to do. The Namikaze had a strong reputation for swift retribution. From everything he had been told, he should be dead already. He had been expecting torture at most to try to get him to implicate any accomplices. He had been conditioned for that. He had not expected the fun loving, usually peaceful royal family to be so damn perceptive!

"By morning your death will be announced and my generals will prepare to destroy your clan. I have met your people on the field again and again to defend my lands. Now, I have to protect my family from dishonorable assaults as well. I will not allow this to continue."

Sasuke could not believe that everything had gone so wrong. He had done what he was ordered to do. He had been told that if he failed to assassinate Naruto – which his feelings for the blond had guaranteed would happen – then he was to protect his clan by assuming full responsibility. He thought he had been convincing when questioned by Minato. He had specifically not called Naruto by his name for fear that his emotions would be perceivable. He had made sure not to look at his lover once the entire time he was questioned by the older man.

So why was it that nothing he had done had saved his family? The might of the Namikaze and their allies will be brought down on the Uchiha clan and they will be slaughtered. Because he could not do what was necessary. Because of his father's ambition.

He stood before the man who so easily discussed the destruction of Sasuke's entire family and he knew what he had to do now. To save his people, the Emperor would have to die.

They were alone, but for how long?

Sasuke was unarmed, but that did not mean he was not dangerous.

After giving his verdict, Minato was about to call the guards to escort Sasuke to his cell and prepare for his execution. The infamously swift justice of the Emperor would again be shown to the people. However, in a burst of speed that surprised him, Sasuke had attacked.

Grabbing the teacup by the delicate handle and breaking it on the edge of the table in one move, Sasuke was nearly at the older man's throat with the sharp edge of the destroyed china when he was abruptly restrained just out of range of his target. Gloved fingers gripped his hair harshly pulling back his head to expose his own throat where something sharp and metallic was pressing into his skin in warning.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke could only make out the dark clothing of the person who held him. '_Shadow Guard. I should have known.' _He and Minato had never been alone.

His makeshift weapon fell from his limp fingers. He had failed his father again. Sasuke awaited Minato's order for the strike that would end his life.

"Perhaps you have potential after all."

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"How much longer until he's awake?"

"I don't know, Temari. It should be sometime soon. Tsunade told me how much sedative she put into his drink."

"He's going to be so upset."

"Shh, Hinata. He's waking up."

Golden lids blinked open while his eyes adjusted to the afternoon light streaming in through the windows. Naruto took in the girls standing by his bed waiting for him to wake up.

The girls that lived in his harem: Temari, Sakura, and Hinata. They all carried expressions of sadness and sympathy. Each of the girls had been gifted to him by their families or traders intent on gaining royal favor. Every one of them had become his friend while they lived and continued their studies under his protection. He could take them to his bed if he chose – which he never had – and still be able to marry them off to other men if the opportunity presented itself.

It is the way of the world that people are traded to enhance alliances and a harem education was considered a valuable commodity by many. Yes, they were taught to give pleasure, but that only takes up so many hours of the day. Languages, art, history, medicine; whatever their interest, Naruto was more than willing to encourage their education. He was a generous young man.

Taking in the red rimmed eyes of his girls, Naruto felt a sinking sensation in his chest. "How long have I been asleep?"

They looked at each other, none of them wanted to answer his question. It was Temari, the eldest, who finally spoke. "Two days."

Dread crossed his face as he thought of the time he'd been unconscious. "Sasuke?"

Temari nibbled her lower lip and looked away. Hinata had fresh tears in her eyes as she held his hand between her delicate palms. It was Sakura's turn to speak. "Yesterday morning we were told what happened. Everyone was talking about how he had attacked you, but we didn't believe it. Not until we were told that he had been executed on your father's order."

Naruto shook his head frantically. "No, I have to save him. I told him I wouldn't let him die."

"Your highness, I'm so sorry." Hinata's tears began to drip onto his hand that was now clutching hers, his knuckles white from the tension.

"No!" he shouted as he pulled away from her, his eyes begging the girls to deny what he was being told.

They couldn't do what he wanted and were saddened by their inability to comfort the young prince.

Sasuke had not been with them long; only a few months. But in that time, they had seen him bring out a part of Naruto they had never witnessed. The blond had always been wonderfully caring and fiercely protective. He had always behaved like a particularly loving brother to them. However, with Sasuke, they saw Naruto become truly passionate. First in his fights with the dark haired young man because nobody could rile up the prince like Sasuke could. With a smirk at just the right time from the young Uchiha, Naruto would be shouting his head off to the amusement of them all.

Later, the girls had watched as something else blossomed between the young men and had been so happy for their beloved friend. Naruto had gone from yelling and threatening Sasuke to pursuing him, but for reasons they didn't know at the time – and now understood – Sasuke had never allowed Naruto to get him alone. They were relieved when just a few days ago, Sasuke finally gave in.

And now they grieved for Naruto's broken heart.

TBC

A/N: Please don't kill me. I promise the next update is coming soon.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Here we go, the longest chapter of this story and I got it out by Sunday! Now I just have to do a huge amount of coursework and update my mpreg. After We'll Always Be has been updated, then I'll get back to work on this story.

I have been getting some really wonderful reviews on this story. Thank you to all my reviewers; every one is appreciated. I try to respond to every review, but if I've missed you, I'm sorry! Kudos to cluelessninja65 for picking up on Minato's wording and asking about the Shadow Guard.

Also, after many hours of intense debate ~_^, MidnightFox has convinced me to create a Prologue to Deception, Love, and Assassination. As I do not like to work on more than two projects at once, I will create it after I have finished DLA. It will be posted as a stand alone.

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Minato's head snapped up from his desk as his office door was slammed open. His son strode into the room resplendent in his rage.

Naruto noticed one of his father's generals, Gai – an eccentric man, but a brilliant fighter – leaning over a map spread out on the desk. Baring his teeth at the wide-eyed man, the prince ordered him to leave the room.

Gai turned to his Emperor who nodded. "You may go. We will continue this later." Bowing to the royals, the dark-haired general retreated from the room, closing the door behind him.

Now alone, the blonds faced each other across the room. Naruto, with his hands clenched tightly and his shoulders shaking in his anger, ground his teeth as he waited for his father to speak. Minato, on the other hand, remained relaxed in his large chair. Naruto could not wait any longer.

"Explain."

"Watch your tone. You are nineteen years old now and I will not condone such behavior from you." Minato knew his son was going to be angry and exercised restraint so that he did not raise his voice at the younger man. He wanted Naruto to accept what had happened and what was necessary for the future.

"What about your own behavior, Father? You drugged me and murdered my lover."

"Don't lie to yourself. You would have allowed such an offense because of your personal feelings. We do not let attacks against ourselves or our people go unpunished."

"Is that the royal _we _you are using? Because I don't remember approving Sasuke's death!

"Who killed your mother?"

Long familiar with his father's tendency to throw out seemingly random questions, Naruto didn't immediately answer. Instead, he thought about how the two issues could be related. He found the answer so fast, his hesitation would have barely been noticed by an outside observer.

"Don't you dare compare Sasuke with Orochimaru!"

Minato leaned forward in his chair placing his elbows on his desk and his chin on his clasped fingers. "When Orochimaru killed Kushina you rode with me to annihilate him. You were by my side as we destroyed his home, his army, and any man or woman who faithfully served him. You did not argue with me then." Deep blue eyes filled with sadness as he reminded his son of that painful time. "I was not able to save your mother from an assassin's poison. I will not allow the same to happen to you."

Naruto's expression softened as he watched his father's grief. The scars on his face, three parallel lines on each cheek, were reminders of that battle with the snake-like man. His father was right, he had not argued their vengeance then. But that was different! Orochimaru had been an evil man who had been the orchestrator of not only his mother's murder, but the slaughter of innocents in villages all along their borders. The man had been planning to slaughter Naruto's entire family and it was only his mother's death from ingesting the poison first that saved them. After the Namikazes destroyed his home, they found evidence of even more vile deeds; horrible atrocities that Naruto only felt guilty that they had not killed the man sooner.

On the other hand, Sasuke had not wanted to be involved in the plot against Naruto. The prince knew without a doubt that if Sasuke had truly wanted to murder him, he would have. And now the man he loves is dead because his father would not show mercy and the leader of the Uchiha clan could not contain his ambition!

Suddenly, he realized what the presence of a general in his father's office portended. In his shock, he approached his father with his hands out in front of him; an imploring gesture. "You're not going after his clan, are you?"

"Sasuke was the weapon, but the will came from within the Uchiha clan. Over the last 15 years, people have died on our borders while their leader, Fugaku, made his constant and unwarranted attempts for my crown. I offered him a treaty for peace and he gave his acceptance. He lied." The knuckles of Minato's clasped hands were white with the tension he was controlling. "He sent his own son to die hoping that the boy would at least kill you too."

Naruto's own fists were shaking at his sides. "How can you be sure of that?"

"My spies confirm it."

Naruto swallowed. "And Sasuke?"

"He confirmed it as well...finally."

Tanned fists slammed into the desk and Naruto was glaring in his father's face in anger. "What did you do to him?!"

Minato's hard eyes did not betray any sympathy. "I see no reason to tell you." He would not have been surprised if his son attacked him in the next few moments and decided to distract the younger man. "Will you ride with me again to claim justice for our family?"

The prince straightened, his stance resolute as he stared down at the older blond. "As you oh so hastily dispensed justice when you executed the alleged assassin, there is no need for further action. Send Fugaku a notice of his son's death. If he was guilty, he will see the warning and not attack us again. This way, innocent people will not die by our hands."

Confusion was apparent on the Emperor's face. "Naruto, why would you defend the man who treated his own son as chattel to be used to harm you?"

"I promised Sasuke that his family would not be harmed."

Confusion gave way to disappointment. "That was not your promise to make. You may be a Prince, but I am the Emperor."

"Forgive me, _Your Majesty_." His voice was as cold as his deep blue eyes. Deciding that he needed to leave before he attempted a murder of his own, Naruto turned on his heel and took a step towards the door. He would find a way to warn the Uchiha clan.

"Naruto, what will you do to change my mind?"

Looking over his shoulder, Naruto observed the inquiring expression on the older man's face. "You want to bargain for their lives?" His incredulity rang clear in the room.

Minato shrugged his shoulders as he sat back in his chair. "You want to protect a whole group of people who want you dead. For me to decide not to deal with them militarily, you have to make sure that our line does not die with you."

Naruto turned his body to face his reclining monarch. His disbelief in what was being suggested made his words harsh. "What _exactly_ are you demanding?"

"I will handle Fugaku more diplomatically than with an army on his land if you father a healthy child within a year."

Bronze skin paled in shock. "To save the lives of Sasuke's family, you want me to impregnate someone as soon as possible so you get a grandchild before I am twenty?"

Minato never wavered. "Yes."

Naruto stood frozen for several heartbeats while Minato waited for his response. He was not surprised by the vehemence of Naruto's answer.

"If you want another heir so bad, father it yourself!"

"Naruto." Now Minato allowed his son to see his weariness. "You know that if I am the father, the child will be your competition, not your heir. You do not have to fall in love. You do not have to marry. But, you do need to do your duty and make sure our people have someone to follow after you and if it is not a child of your blood, we risk a civil war." Minato knew his son understood what he was saying on a rational level if not emotionally. It was because Minato was not the direct descendant of Sarutobi, the previous ruler, that they have had to protect themselves from so many attacks over the years. It did not matter to ambitious men and easily led fighters if Minato was Sarutobi's choice. As long as there are people who can claim as much right to the throne, there will be threats to the peace of their nation.

Naruto knew there was another reason why Minato refused to father another child. He had deeply loved his wife, Kushina, and would not take another lover. Naruto's own harem was started when he was 15 by Minato giving him Temari and then Sakura a year later. Both girls were originally gifts to the Emperor, not the Prince, but Minato made it clear he did not want such favors. Unfortunately, Naruto had not been able to convince people as effectively. The young blond found it unfair that his father was demanding Naruto to do what he would not. "I truly loved him. I don't want anyone else."

"My son, I am very sorry that you have been hurt, but even if things had worked out between you two, a child would have still been necessary."

"You won't accept anything else, will you?" When Minato shook his head no, tears slipped from Naruto's eyes. "I have always looked up to you, wanted to be you. But now...I'm terrified I will become you."

Hurt flashed through azure eyes as Minato took in the almost broken image of his son before him. "I understand. Sometimes, when trying to do what is best for your people, you lose a part of your soul." Breaking eye contact, the Emperor cradled his head in his hands. "I don't ask for your forgiveness, but one day, you will understand."

Naruto kept control of his pain; he would not let it out quite yet. He knew his father was neither evil, nor vicious. He knew that he was doing what he thought was best. Naruto just never thought the man he worshiped could be so cruelly manipulative.

"Will one of your girls do, or should we find someone you do not have any feelings towards?"

The prince looked at his father wide-eyed before his training kicked in to discuss matters as a self-assured royal and not as a grieving young man. "I have almost finished organizing Temari's wedding so she is not an option. Neither Sakura nor Hinata have expressed a specific interest in anybody, but I do not know what their feelings would be. They are both like sisters to me."

"Then we will find you someone else."

"I'm sorry, your Majesty, but I would rather not involve a stranger."

Minato understood. "I'll leave you to handle this however you feel comfortable."

Without another word, Naruto left the room. His steps were weighted, as though he was carrying an unexpected and unwanted burden.

The older blond watched his son leave mourning the loss of the child his son was until recently. Too much pain had aged the young man, but Naruto had to grow past his naivete sooner rather than later.

Sighing, the monarch closed and locked his study door then lifted a hidden latch to reveal a secret door behind a wall hanging. Traveling quickly through the concealed passages, he exited above a small underground arena. Without a sound, a black clad individual was at his side. He did not even look at his companion when he greeted him. "Obito."

"Your Majesty."

"Have you heard from Kakashi?"

"We just received a messenger bird. He has entered Uchiha lands and will continue as instructed unless you order otherwise."

Minato nodded absently as he observed the individuals below him.

"The prince accepted your terms?"

"Of course he did."

His former student stood silent sentinel. However, the blond felt as though he could detect disapproval from his faithful guard. Mentally shaking it off, he nodded to the dozen or so people in the arena. They were all clad in black clothing and all but one had their head covered concealing their faces.

"How is your kinsman doing?"

"He is well trained and if he gives a vow, I believe he will keep it."

"Good. Let him know that the clan is safe from retribution for the attack on the prince."

"Yes, your Majesty." Obito bowed as his Emperor left the way he had come.

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_They are an elite fighting group._

"Do you swear to protect the Namikaze family from all threats with your life?"

_They travel in the darkness to preserve the light._

"I do."

_They were the lost, the presumed dead, the forgotten._

"Then leave yourself behind and join us in the shadows."

The Shadow Guards watched as the young man took the black tinted sword and was added to their ranks.

TBC


End file.
